Future Justice
by AmandaDavis08
Summary: What happens when enough is enough and the future generation takes over Young Justice? Follow John, Fallon, River, Avon and company as they struggle to take on their families legacies; kick butt while doing so. Regular Updates Credit with co-writing to ICBfics https:/m.fanfiction.net/u/10176250/ICBfics?a s
1. Johnny Grayson

Sitting on his bed at 2 in the morning, John Grayson was grateful it was still summer break, so he didn't have to worry about getting up early that morning, though John knew he still would. Drawing in his sketchbook, John heard a window open and light footsteps coming from his father's room next door, signaling he was home at last from his regular patrol. His father, Richard Grayson, who was in reality, Nightwing, protector of Bludhaven, along as a police officer. Pulling John out of his thoughts, his sister Fallon stirred from her spot in her bed across the room from him before turning and opening her bright blue eyes. Looking at each other for a minute, Fallon finally spoke.

"Dad home yet?," she asked softly, stretching her arms. John nodded, not needing to ask how she knew to wake up right when their father came home; light sleeping seemed to be an inherited trait for the both of them.

"Should we go check on him, ya know, to make sure he isn't too hurt?," she asked, again dragging John out of his thoughts. The two both knew about their fathers nightly activities, though this fact didn't mean they didn't feel worry every time he left as Nightwing. John pondered his sister's question for a moment, before nodding his agreement.

Slowly the two headed down the stairs, and John felt his heart rate rising with each step. This wasn't because John was scared,it was just always nerve wracking to see what state his father might be in. Even though Dick wouldn't admit it, John knew that the nights were getting longer, the villains tougher, and the risks higher as he grew older. He began wanting to help, No, needing to help. He felt, that as Dicks son, he deserved to be able to assist his father in any way possible? He suspected Fallon felt the same as well, which only strengthened his resolve.

"Hello you two, I'm surprised you're both still up and at em." Dick called out, interrupting John's thoughts with his sudden greeting. The two looked up, meeting their father halfway down the stairs.

John gave Nightwing a glance, looking over him from head to toe and was not pleased with the current state he was in. Dick's body was littered with cuts and scrapes all over, his hair sticking to his forehead with the remnants of someone else's blood. His Nightwing suit was going to need major repairs, and it looked overall as though someone had pushed him off of a cliff and then run him over with a semi truck. John was shocked, however, this wasn't the first time his father had come home from a night of crime fighting hurt, but this, this was different. This changed things.

"What on Earth happened to you!" Fallon gasped, breaking the awkward silence that had begun to form. Dick noticeably tensed before answering.

"Tonight was rough, I'll admit, but was also very successful," Dick tried to assure John and Fallon. "There are multiple bad people who are now behind bars, and I was able to track down the base of one of Bludhavens more notorious crime lords," he heaved a strained heavy breath before continuing. " I may look beat up, but tonight actually went very well."

John didn't completely believe his father's explanation; Nightwing was far more skilled than some petty thug or crime lord, and this kind of damage had to have been caused by a greater threat. Though John knew he was only trying to comfort them, he only felt more that Nightwing needed some help. After exchanging goodnights, Fallon and John hugged their father and went back up to their room. John's mind was going a mile a minute as he walked into his room, thinking of his options. Heaving a sigh, he flopped down on his bed, sparing a glance at his sister, who looked just as worried as he did.

"We need to do something," Fallon said, the statement surprising John slightly. Nodding, he sighed again.

"I agree, but how can we go about this; dad would never outright agree to us even suggesting that we could follow the whole vigilante route," John stated, heaving another sigh.

"He'd say that it's too dangerous and not necessary," Fallon agreed. "But he needs help, and if it doesn't happen soon, I don't know what will happen. I'm not willing to loose him, and I know you aren't either."

John nodded, his brain firing off of ways to get around his father and his arguments. Picking up his phone, he decided to send a text off to his best friend, Nathaniel, the son of Wally West (who previously was known as Kid Flash and now currently was The Flash)

"Hey, we need to talk." John sent off. He proceeded to add his sister, best friend, and two "cousins", River and Avon, into the chat. John was beginning to form an idea, and he would need all the help he could get for it to work. Setting his phone down, he said a quiet goodnight to Fallon before laying his head down. The group could talk tomorrow, and John finally felt a little peace as he drifted off to sleep, whilst formulating his grand plans.


	2. Fallon Grayson

Fallon woke up groggy and slow that morning, despite her instincts advising against such behavior. Sunlight streaming into her bedroom window, she stood up and stretched before grabbing her phone off of her nightstand to check anything she might have missed.

Sitting back down on her bed with eyes sinking into the groupchat her brother had initiated the night before, Fallon pondered the right reaction. Fallon was drawn out of her thoughts as a ring coming from the phone indicated an incoming message. Looking at her messages again, blue eyes once again scanned over what the other occupants of the conversation had said.

John- "Hey guys we need to meet up ASAP"

Fallon- " yup it's important"

Avon- "okay when, where, and why?"

River- "we'll meet at my place"

John- "Riv you don't even know why I'm calling this meeting"

River- "aaaaaand your point is?"

Avon- "alright so we'll meet at Riv's but, John, what's up? Why the sudden meeting?"

John- "Let's just call it a 'parent intervention meeting,' and trust me, it's much needed"

Nathaniel - "ooo sounds like your brain's working Johnny, count me in"

John- "Cool, so were all good to meet up tonight?"

Avon- "Fine with me"

River- "Duh man"

Fallon- "Sounds good."

Fallon sighed before falling back onto her bed, running a hand over her face before throwing her phone lazily on her bed and walking downstairs for some late breakfast. Walking into the kitchen, she gazed at a post-it-note on the refrigerator, before John cleared his throat from his seat at the breakfast nook, snapping her back into reality.

"Dad's at work till later." her brother called, spooning a bite of cereal from his bowl.

"Figured." Fallon stated, grabbing a pan out to cook an egg with, "So this meeting tonight, it's what I think it's about right? last night?"

John nodded, taking another bite.

The two siblings fell into comfortable silence for a while, each in their own thoughts.

The morning went on without much trouble, Fallon leaving to go hangout with a friend from her upcoming 7th grade class in downtown Bludhaven while John went to a gym he frequented.

Fallon walked back into the small townhouse later that afternoon to her father laying on the couch, still in uniform, and her brother still not home yet.

As discreetly as possible Fallon attempted to examine her father's condition. He looked dreadful, and again was covered from head to toe in bruises, slashes, and markings of all sorts. With every movement Dick made Fallon could see and practically feel the pain radiating off of him. Fallon flinched at this, earning a raised eyebrow from her father.

"Something wrong?," Dick asked, curious to his daughter reaction, he figured she would be happy to see him home from work before dinner.

"Nope, everything's fine," She lied smoothly before flopping onto the couch next to her father. "How was work, things go alright?"

Dick nodded before replying.

"Not too bad, how was your day?"

Fallon grasped immediately that her father was trying to change the subject and veer it towards her, and she wasn't going to let him get off so easily. Deciding instead it better to craft her response to not only answer his question but to get him in a position to have to spill more on his day.

"My day was great. I was able to hang out with a friend from school. We did some shopping downtown, and we also went to this new coffee shop right by the book store. Their coffee was to die for, you'd love it," looking up at him with a smile full of intriguement and energy. "So, tell me _all_ about your day." making sure to emphasise the word 'all'.

Dick shrugged before answering ", My day wasn't too bad…." giving a noticeable pause to cough before continuing, "I was able to catch the man responsible for dozens of robberies in Bludhaven this past month, along with making progress on some research for a ongoing investigation. So overall, I'd say today was progressive."

Fallon was suspicious of her father's response. He seemed to include way too many positives, and the markings on his body told a different story. She felt relief, however, knowing there was a meeting tonight, and soon she would be able to do something about whatever problem was going on that was big enough for her father to lie to her and John.

The two fell into silence as a show played on the television, though neither one was paying much attention. After an episode or two, Fallon got up to start dinner, the task of cooking distracting her from the swarm of thoughts that had been plaguing her all day. As she was finishing cooking, John waltz through the door and the three sat down, making small conversation as they ate.

After dinner, John and Dick went to clean the dishes as Fallon went up to her room. Pacing, she went over how her and John could sneak out to the meeting. Pondering it for a while, she decided that sneaking out the window of their bedroom while Dick was on patrol was the best option, though she would run it by John before putting it into action.

Some time later, John walked in, a hand on his hip. Fallon slumped on her bed before relaying her plan on how to get to the meeting without raising anymore suspicion out of their father. After thinking on it for a minute, John nodded, saying it would best, and that they could take John's motorcycle, as he was old enough to drive it at 15.

9 o' clock came quick, Fallon looking up as Dick poked his head into their room to alert the two that he was leaving for Patrol and would back around 1 or 2 that morning. Nodding and wishing him luck, Dick left to change. Hearing the window open and shut next door, Fallon knew they were good. Gathering their things, the two headed out the window and got on the motorcycle. The half hour drive to Gotham went by in a blur, the two avoiding running into their father. Pulling up to where they were meeting outside Wayne Manor, they saw Nate and Avon walk up to them as John parked in the grass, making sure to leave little jumped the fence to join as the group congregated together before guiding them to a secret meeting place within the highbush edges of the manors massive garden maze.

"Took you all long enough," River scoffed in greeting once the had all settled. A chorus started of voices, a rebellion towards their lateness kicked in.

"Do you know how hard it is to avoid my dad's motion detectors and other gizmos meant to keep him and I safe!" Avon complained, "Outwitting Tim Drake is no simple task."

River, almost simultaneously to Avon, cried out as well, "I had to be extremely careful too! Father could track me down in seconds and drag me back home in the blink of an eye if he figures out I snuck out!"

It was John who ended up shushing then into silence, and then carried on to lead the meeting. Fallon was thankful for the reprieve from the others nagging voices.

"I'm just glad that you all made it," John stated, glaring at River before continuing." Regardless of how or when you got here, let's just all be glad that we all somehow managed to outwit our parents, for once." finishing his statement with a proud smile, which all of the others radiated back. Fallon couldn't help but appreciate John's natural born leadership skills, the particular treat being one she was still working on herself.

River threw out the first question after sensing hesitation, "Why exactly are we all here again? You weren't extremely specific."

Nate smiled, intercepting John before he could respond, "We're here because you insisted we should meet up at your place Rivy. Don't you remember."

"You know what I mean!" River exclaimed whilst crossing his arms over his chest.

"Alright, would everyone focus please." John said, trying to ease the tension. After everyone returned their attention back to him, he finally began revealing his thoughts and plans. " We can all agree on the fact that our parents are keeping information from us. Vital information that affects not only ourselves, but the safety of our cities and themselves."

Fallon looked up at her brother, than at the others, to find that there was nothing but understanding in their eyes; John gave a sigh next to her before progressing on with newfound rawness and emotion to his voice.

"I can't stand to see my dad come home each night in a condition so horrible that he can barely keep himself up on his feet." John's voice giving the slightest of cracks as he finished his statement. "I'm tired of the lies made to so call "protect us" .

Fallon noticed John looking up again at each individual, and upon seeing agreement in their eyes, noticed her brother's confidence grow before finally proclaiming,"I just want to help them, and to accomplish that, we all need to work together."

Everyone hummed in agreement, glancing at each other as moonlight shone through the thick hedges.

"I guess it's all in how we begin now," Fallon breathed out quietly, as faces turned twords her sudden voice.


	3. Avon Drake-Tyler

Working out thier plan of attack, Avon had to say she was pleased. Despite this, worry begun to grow deep in the pit of her stomach, without permission. Fleeting thoughts came and left of her or others in the group substaining injuries, or worse, her mother or father finding out she had anything to do with this moonlight meeting. Saying her goodbyes, Avon disappeared into the dark woods, stalking back home on foot; not arriving back at her moderate little house in a subdivision outside of Gotham untill pink already shown up in the sky and dew rose up from the fresh grass.

Climbing up the side of house into her cracked bedroom window, Avon changed back into comfortable clothes before all but falling back into bed, determed to get a few hours of sleep before she was forced awake by one of her parents.

Three hours later, banging at her door startled Avon out of oblivion, and signaled she had to get moving.

"Go awayy," Avon grumbled, honestly hoping to enjoy another hour or so of rest.

"Don't make me come in there," a voice called back playfully, which she instantly recognized as her father.

"Alright, alright, I'm up," Avon grumbled back, streching her arms. Since the summer started and Avon was ahead a grade, she had started working an internship with her father at WayneCorp. While it looked good on paper, it meant she only got to really sleep in on weekends, having to go in at a resonable time in the morning during the week.

Tying up her dirty blonde hair in a ponytail and throwing on a black blouse, she ran down the stairs to eat a quick breakfast with her parents before leaving.

The car ride was silent to the office. Avon, growing twitchy, began running plans and such in her head; texting them for validation, imput, and confirmation.

"Hey guys," Avon texted

Nathan- "Ay, what's up?"

River- "You know who isn't up? Me! Why in the world are you texting at this ungodly hour?"

Sighing, Avon responded - "It's important Riv! We need to start planning!"

John- "Avon's right, we should start right away, or else it'll be too much to do later."

Fallon- "Makes sense to me, where should we begin, though?"

Avon- "Well, first, we should probably figure out a base or some sort of meeting place."

River- "We could use Aunt Stephanie's basement, she would probably be willing to lend her services."

Avon- "You're sure she wouldn't mind? And how do you know she won't just rat us out?"

John- "One of us could invite her to lunch or something and try to talk her into it?"

Avon- "I can use my lunch hour and talk to her, ya know, girl to girl."

River- "We'll now that's done, don't wake me up again before noon unless the world's ending"

Fallon- "Always a pleasure Riv"

River- "Whatever"

Avon- "I'll text you all after."

Despite Stephanie and her father's past, Avon got along well with Stephanie, and after sending off a quick text asking her to meet her for lunch, she walked into Wayne Enterprise with her father.

Running around all morning kept Avon busy, lunchtime coming on quick. Walking down into downtown Gotham, Avon stopped at a little pizza place, where she saw her Aunt Stephanie sitting at a table, waving her over.

Sitting down, the two exchanged pleasantries before Avon decided she would start bringing up the teen's plan.

"So I'm assuming there's a reason you called Av," Stephanie said, braking the ease of the conversation.

Avon nodded, raising an eyebrow, "how'd you know."

Stephanie chuckled, looking at the youth, "you play with your fingers when ur nervous, and won't make any eye contact, which always lets me know when somethings up. Care to share?"

Avon sighed before speaking, "I'll have to work on that, but anyways, you need to keep an open mind on what i'm going to say, because I'm trusting you here."

"No one's hurt, right? Or in danger," Stephanie breathed out, worry clear upon her face.

"Yes yes, everyone's alright. It's just, me and the cousins, we can't sit around anymore watching the adults carry all the burden, coming home hurtevery night. We want to help, and that's why I called you," Avon explained, her face showing seriousness and concern.

"Well, saying I'd agree to help, what do you need me do exactly. And do all your parents know about this, because I'm sure they wouldn't be so thrilled to hear about it."

"No, they don't know and that's how we want to keep it, they would just talk us out of it." Avon stated before Stephanie could reply, "If you don't want to be involved, I understand, but please don't tell our parents." Avon said, practically begging at this point.

"Relax Av, I'm not going to spill your secret," Stephanie assured, and Avon gave a sigh of relief. "I want to help, and I can see why you guys are adamant on doing this. What can I do to assist the cause?"

Avon paused before asking, "Well we would love to make your place a headquarter of sorts."

"Consider it done," Stephanie said, waving her hand.

"You're seriously the best Aunt Steph!" Avon squealed while jumping up to hug her.

"Yeah yeah, I know I am," her aunt said, smiling.

Continuing the chatter on with Stephanie about training and plans, Avon began to finally relax, knowing the group could now move forward.

Walking back to Wayne Enterprises a short while later, Avon texted the good news to the group before pocketing her phone and getting back to the duties that needed her attention.


	4. Johnathon Grayson and the beginning

To say John was a nervous wreck would be an understatement. Tonight the group would be meeting up at Stephanie's, along with officially heading out to prowl the streets for the first time; which, as exciting as that prospect was, also started worrying John. It was beginning to be obvious that John was a face of leadership for the group; understandable considering he was the eldest in the group, but it was also pressuring. If something happened to go wrong, which there were no guarantees that patrol couldn't somehow go south, he knew the consequences and blame would likely fall onto him. Which is precisely why John found himself currently sitting at his favorite coffee shop, carefully planning out the night's events.

This particular coffee shop in Bludhaven had always been a special place to John. Early memories of coming into the shop to spend quality time with his father and drink coffee at way too young age was still clear in his mind. Sitting, one memory specifically came that he could always vividly recall.

 _It was a cloudy day, and it had not stopped raining continuously for the past week. The rain of early spring was sharp with cold from the remnants of winter, but of course that never stopped John and his father from getting their daily caffeine and sugar fix. John was just happy to be spending some alone time with his dad. Baby Fallon had been driving him crazy with her daily newborn crying, and it was for that reason that his mother had encouraged him and his father to head out for a bit._

 _So there they were, the two sitting at their favorite high stolled window side table. Johns feet couldn't even reach the floor and his father had been the one to lift him up onto the seat. They had just finished ordering, a coffee with cream, sugar and espresso for Dick and a hot chocolate for John, his father feeling he should not expose his 4 year old to coffee just yet._

 _John had been watching the pitter patter of the rain on the window sill when his father had interrupted him from his gazing._

 _"John, you and I need to have a talk, man to man, do you think we can manage that?" His father had started with a soft smile._

 _"I can do that!" John replied giddily, glad that his father was acting like John was such a big kid._

 _"Alright then, it's about Fallon…." his father's thoughts trailed a bit before he continued, "you see John, the thing is that Fallon is not just your baby sister, she's more than that. She's someone who will look up to you for the next few years. You have to promise that, no matter what, you'll watch out for her and be the best big brother you can be. Set an example, and show her the ropes. Do you think that you can do that? For me and for Fallon and, well, even for yourself?"_

 _John had been caught off guard by the question but happy. Happy that his father was trusting him to be a good example for his new baby sister._

 _Always one for the dramatics, John raised his hand to his heart before proclaiming," I, Jonathan Grayson, promise that I will always try my hardest to help and be there for baby Fallon." John finished his sentence grinning ear to ear, but his tone held seriousness; he cared very much for Fallon, so he knew it wasn't going to be very hard to keep this promise._

 _Babbling on about Kindergarten and other random things to his father afterwords, little 5 year old John didn't forget his talk with Dick, and concluded that particular day to be a good day._

Snapping out of his memory John couldn't help but worry that he was breaking his promise by taking Fallon out on patrol tonight. Even though Fallon was no longer a baby, John couldn't help but feel protective of her. It was a trait he had been carrying ever since that fateful coffee shop visit. Drawing his mind back to planning, John began mapping out routes and possible scenarios/solutions, intensely focusing on his work for several hours until a worker tapped him lightly on the shoulder; breaking his concentration to ask if John needed anything.

Politely declining the man before checking his phone, John's eyes widened with panic when he saw how close it was nearing to the start of their first patrol.

Gathering up the few things he brought along, John walked outside to make the four block hike back to the townhouse. Walking through the door, he saw Fallon stretched out on the floor, watching a show while finishing her assigned summer homework. Noticing him, hazel eyes flashed up to John, conveying unsaid excitement and anxiety. Sprawling out on the floor next to her, the two confirmed plans while they waited, a show in the background playing for noise.

Dick walked in the door with takeout food an hour later, a smile plastered on his face. John was weary of this, but smiled back as the small family ate and conversed about their day.

Sooner rather than later, darkness began falling on Bludhaven, painting the sky pink and yellow. Dick waved at the two before getting ready to leave for Patrol, promising he wouldn't be out too late. John nodded and wished him luck, Fallon falling suit. As the two heard the familiar sound of the window opening and closing, both knew it was finally time.

5 minutes later, when they were both sure their father was gone, the two slipped out the window and swiftly raced to John's motorbike.

Driving to their Aunt Stephanie's, John's mind was racing a million miles an hour as he was driving the bike through traffic, running plans, routes, and what to say.

Arriving, the two hopped off the bike and walked through the door that led into the basement, where John found Avon and River sitting on a couch, Stephanie nearby with a glass of wine.

Taking notice of their presence, Stephanie looked up at the two, smiling; while River gave a small scow and Avon raised an eyebrow. Forcing a smile on his face, John spoke first.

"Glad were almost all here. When Nate shows up, we can go over routes and plans that me and Fallon came up with, finalize them, and head off."

"Tt," River stuttered as he raised an eyebrow. "Why can't speedsters ever be on time."

John just shrugged his shoulders. Pulling out the notebook he brought, he suddenly felt a gust of wind, alerting him Nate had made an appearance.

"Whats up guys," Nate said easily, appearing on the couch while flashing a smile


	5. River Todd

River's leg bounced in anticipation as he listened to his cousin explain the overall plans and expected outlook for the night; they all agreed not to take the same routes frequently, however, to avoid easily being tracked or discovered. With the time finally approaching to leave, the teens took communicators and headed off.

Adrenaline coursing through his body, River hopped onto his motorcycle and sped through the streets to where they were starting patrol. Congregating on top of a roof in Gotham, the group looked at each other, a nod from John signaling it was finally time.

Flipping from rooftop to rooftop, the group split into two and took separate routes near each other. No more than 15 minutes later, River's ears picked up a scream coming from a nearby alleyway. Glancing at Avon with a quick nod, the two allerted the rest of the group as they rushed to the scene. River found he had to fight the urge not to whoop or laugh as he and Avon flew through the night air to reach the scene, excitement continuing to build in him.

Reaching the site and hiding behind a building, the two scanned the situation and saw two teenage girls corned by three men; two holding knives while one waved a pistol around. Avon climbed back up the building and called out, distracting them momentarily while River snuck up on the man holding the gun and sweeped his leg out, grabbing the gun as it fell.

After hitting the man's head with the butt of the gun, knocking him out, River turned to the two men left, eyeing them cooly as Avon joined him. Backing down, the men fled from the alley; the teenaged girls left looking in disbelief as Avon called the police.

Let them deal with it for once.

River and John then climbed back up onto a rooftop to continue their survey of the Gotham. The night air was cool and offered refreshment from their climbing and fighting. A mere 20 minutes later John tapped River's shoulder to signal that something else was going on.

Down the alley there was a black van parked by two men with gang member tattoos across their faces. Seemingly innocent, if not for the fact that the audible sounds of children crying in the van could be heard.

Just as River was about to jump in on the scene, John yanked him back covering his mouth with his hand.

River stopped his struggling when John pointed his finger towards the van. River glanced in the direction and tensing as he noticed that they were not the only crime fighters here tonight.

Robin had arrived at the scene.

He was currently crouched down, watching the men. No doubt plotting an incredibly complicated plan to take them out. Two instances later both men were down and Robin was setting the children free. Asking all sorts of questions to sort out the scene.

River then turned to John, seeking guidance.

"So, what do we do now? Should we say something to him or….?"

John opened his mouth to begin but before he could get any words out another deeper raspier voice interrupted.

"See, at this point, I'm very used to running into random relatives while on patrol, but I have to say I'm a bit surprised to see you two here." Damian said, seeming genuine in his statements. "Do Hood and Grayson know that you're both here?"

"Would you care if they did?" John asked cooly.

"No, not really to be honest." was Damians reply, and they let out a breath of relief. "It's their own lack of skill if they didn't notice you two sneaking out, and therefore not my problem."

"In that case, we'll be honest with you," River began, "they don't know that we're here and we'd like to keep it that way."

"I won't spill your secret, but I want to know why you guys are out here and what you guys think that you're doing sneaking around in my alleys."

"We just want to help our parents out a bit. We don't want to cause any trouble and we'll stay out of your way." John stated with an even voice.

"Alright," Damian began, 'but on one condition."

They both groaned at that.

"Do not engage on any situations that you are not ready for. That means that you leave the big guns to me, and if there are more men than you two can handle you'll call me. Understood?"

They both nodded their heads in agreement.

"If I find out that you two were hurt in a situation that could have been avoided, I will tell everything to your parents." Damian crossed his arms finishing his statement.

"We understand," John agreed. 'Though we didn't think you cared lil D."

"...tt...Good," he said, disregarding Johns insult and use of idiotic pet names. "I have more work to do tonight so I have to go. But...be safe and careful, and I'm only saying that because I do not want to deal with a mourning Grayson or murderous Todd." which were Damian's last statements before heading off into the cover of Gotham's night shadows.

Looking at John, River shrugged before the two grappled onto another building and met back up with the rest of the group, watching out for anymore activity.

Once they arrived River told the group all about their encounter with Damian.

"That was a close one." Nate responded once River finished the last details of the story.

"The point of telling you all this," John started, "is to bring up the fact that we have to be more careful and on alert. It's easy to forget that we're not the only ones patrolling these streets."

The group nodded, before scanning the area for another hour, coming across only one more mugging. After an hour, everyone agreed it would be best to start heading back, the hour growing close to 2am; as well, they all knew if they didn't get home soon, they would surely be caught.

Rounding back to Stephanie's house, everyone agreed to meet back up the day after the next at the same time to patrol again. After hastily going over the night's events and individual areas of improvement, person after person left to retire for the night.

Once again hopping on his motorcycle, River drove off into the night, mind reeling from patrol. Pulling up into the safehouse his father left for him in New York, about an hour from Gotham, at 3:30am, River walked through the door, as he knew his father wasn't there. River all but fell into bed. Despite his father's attitude, he was caring enough to leave a townhouse in a relatively quiet town outside New York City for River so he could have some sort of normalcy, and he appreciated that his father atleast somewhat cared, even if he was rarely around.

Mind going a million miles, River finally drifted off an hour later, a deep sleep overcoming him.

Waking up slowly the next morning, River finally walked downstairs to find a small note taped on the fridge from his father. Sighing, he made himself a bowl of cereal before checking his phone. Scrolling while he munched on some Captin Crunch, he noticed messages from his cousins, dicussing how patrol went and ways they could inprove. Sighing again, River sat his phone down on the counter, picked up his cat Gale, and walked over to plop down on the couch; continuing the summer reading assigned for his AP English class


	6. Fallon Grayson and Alessia Mayfield

Fallon woke up suddenly the next morning, her mind reeling from the nights previous events. Tip toeing out of the bedroom, as to not wake John. Making her way to the kitchen, she decided on making waffles while turning on the news. John came down just as she was placing the food on a plate, bedhead readily apparent.

"Morning Fallon," John gave a soft morning smirk before saying "Aw you shouldn't have," and proceeding to snatch the whole plate of waffles.

"John!" She shrieked. "Give them back!"

"You're too kind! Thank you oh so much for sharing!" was his reply before running off. Sprinting around while stuffing his face with her waffles, Fallon chased him around the kitchen.

Their father walked into the kitchen just as Fallon was able to snatch her waffles back, eyes surveying the damage done before deciding to make another batch to make up for what John had eaten.

"Well you two are clearly up." Dick stated, laughing softly.

"Sorry if we woke you," Fallon said while clearly glaring at John before continuing to speak, "Some of us don't know how to behave this morning."

"It's alright," Dick stated before the two could fuss anymore, "I had to be up early today anyways."

"Why?" John asked in between munching on the cereal from the bowl he'd just prepped, milk dripping from his chin. Fallon gave him a shady side glance at this, thinking how it was that teenage boys could be such annoying slobs.

"Just work stuff." Dick said with a shrug, signaling it wasn't up for discussion. Fallon raised an eyebrow at this, scanning over any possible injuries her father could have.

While she was satisfied and relieved to find no visible markings, that didn't change the fact that she had to look in the first place.

"Alright you two, I have to head out," their father began, and then chuckled before adding, "and no more waffle fights, we wouldn't want the landlord to kick us out over maple syrup"

"No promises." Fallon giggled out.

Dick simply smiled before heading out the door. It was after Dick shut the door and left that Fallon realized that she had not asked where exactly he was he was going, or when he would be back. She sighed and mentally facepalmed, her shoulders tightening.

With the knowledge that the night would be hectic, as the group had already decided to head out to patrol again, Fallon decided that she should finish off her errands now while the day was young.

She threw on a fluster of clothing before shouting out to John that she was going to the mall and would be back in a bit. He called out remember to be careful, and she was off.

Fallon loved the mall, however, it wasn't because she was your typical teenage girl, but because of the variety. She loved having options. There was also a certain thrill with the decision making. The mall was a battlefield of sales tactics, and she the general. Not to mention that a more childish part of Fallon loved the escalator rides, though she would never admit it to anyone.

The first target on her list was to pay her favorite fitness store in the mall a visit. She wanted to pick up some more flexible clothing for tonight. It wasn't like she and the others had superhero outfits to wear, so practically speaking, leggings and tight yet breathable shirts were the best option. While she did keep active, she didn't usually spend much money on these luxuries, but she concluded it best that this habit change.

So she went out, finding all the items on her wish list at the store. Finally walking out of the store half an hour later, her stomach gave a loud protest of hunger, having missed her waffles. At this, she headed up the escalators for the food court.

The court was bustling with buyers in and out. Fallon made sure to clutch and keep her bags close before heading into the line, grabbing some pizza, and processing to sit at the nearest checkered table.

A wave of calm set on as she ate away, listening to the sound of the chatty crowd. Fallon began wishing she had invited a friend, or perhaps even John, to accompany her. It was growing somewhat boring to be left with only her thoughts to entertain herself. The table seemed empty suddenly with no one sitting next to or across from her.

Fallon snapped out of her thoughts instantly when a tray slammed down directly in front of her, causing her own tray to rumble in disapproval.

"Hey, what's the big idea!" She said, looking up to get a look at her perpetrator while beginning to clean up her spilled drink.

She then realized after a second glance that some part of her vaguely recognized the girl now sitting across from her. The girl had raven, wavy black hair and eerily green eyes. Her face doused with only a light coating of makeup; not that she was what one would call gorgeous, but she was still drawing to the eyes.

"Wow Fallon, I know we haven't seen each other in a while, but I thought that you would at least recognize me." the nameless girl stated in an almost bitter tone. She then continued on with her eating, scarfing down the last of her italian noodles.

"I'm sorry, but I don't," Fallon began, unease, anger, and anxiety growing, "would you care to enlighten me?"

"Alessia." were the girls last word before she grabbed her tray and abruptly headed off.

Alessia. Alessia. Alessia.

The name bounded around in Fallon's head before it finally clicked.

"Alessia! Wait!" She shouted after a second, bounding off towards the girl. She now recognized her as Alessia Mayfield, a friend who use to live near when she was around 7. Alessia had always been a bit on the colder side, but nonetheless, Fallon and her had bonded as children. Alessia had been in and out of foster care as a kid, and one day had been shipped off and Fallon never heard from her again.

Until now that was.

Eventually Fallon caught up and grabbed ahold of her. Throwing her arms around Alessia in a much needed embrace. She had missed her old friend, but hadn't realized how much until now.

"Alessia tell me everything," Fallon said when she finally caught her breath, eyes watered from running and the emotions swirling inside her.

"What happened? Where were you? Why are you back?"

Alessia stared up into Fallon's eyes, her own holding a grim look. Fallon couldn't help but notice the haunted gleam in her friends eyes, and wanted nothing more than to immediately rid her of it.

"Fallon," Alessia's said as her voice cracked, the first sign of emotion she'd shown since arriving. She continued after a second, "I can't stay long…." she darted her eyes around in obvious fear, seeming to make sure that no one was over hearing before she made another statement.

"There's a lot going on here that you don't know about. But your father does. And Fallon," she looked her dead in the eye before saying, "they know what your father is doing. Please Fallon you have to warn him. I can't stay, they're waiting for me outside, but just make sure he gets this address."

Alessia slipped a paper into Fallon's hand before brushing past her. Fallon whipped around and grabbed Alessia by the shoulder.

"Alessia I don't understand…."

Fallon was cut off before she could finish.

"I know and I wish I could tell you but….I can't."

And with that Alessia faded into the crowd, and Fallon was left with more questions than she had came here with.

Fallon rushed back home to tell John all about her encounter. Immediately retelling the whole encounter, a worried look was clear on her face.

"John I don't know what to do! Should we give him the address? Should we keep it? Is this all a set up from someone? Gah!" She grabbed her face with her hands, feeling immensely stressed and confused.

"Fallon calm down," John began reassuring her, "I know what to do."

"You do?," She asked, the doubt evident on her face.

"Yes. We are going to pay father a visit in his office today, give him the address, and finally begin getting some answers."

With that they both headed off into John's car, ready to question their father.

Walking in, both teens were apprehensive about this confrontation, especially out in public, but knew it needed to be done. Alerting the security at the front desk to why they were there, the two made their way to Dick's office. They knocked quickly before entering, and Dick looked up from his paperwork at his kids entrance.

"Any particular reason you two couldn't wait to talk to me until I get off?," Dick asked, raising an eyebrow at his kids.

"It's important," Fallon stated, eyes wide, before restating the whole event at the mall to her father.

When she was done, Dick took the address, scanned it over, widening his eyes while reading.

"Thanks for bringing this, I'll look into this tomorrow night, and hack into surveillance outside the building." he said, trying to reassure his children.

"You sure everything's okay? Alessia made it pretty clear this was important, and you seem way too nonchalant about all this," Fallon replied, not believing at all that this wasn't a serious matter her father was secretly worried about.

"Of course, just something dealing with patrol, but you know it isn't great to discuss this stuff here," Dick rebutted, hoping to get his kids to back off for their own safety.

"It's not like you would talk about it even if we were home," John pointed out. "And this seemed pretty important."

"I know, and I promise I'll look into Alessia for you, we'll talk more about it when I get home. Okay?" he proposed, hoping to at least by some time.

The two hesitantly nodded before hugging their dad and walking out.

When they were finally out of the police station and free to talk, Fallon looked John dead in the eyes, worry spreading throughout her.

"I copied the address in my phone. We need to check it out TONIGHT over patrol, before dad has a chance. He's not telling us everything and i'm tired of it. Especially when my friends safety, not to mention dad's, is at risk."

John nodded, "I agree. We need to text the group and make sure we meet."

The Grayson siblings had their plan, and Fallon was determined to make sure it went off perfectly.


	7. Stakeout

Looking out onto the cool black night from uptop a building, Avon would say she was worried. She remembered Alessia from her childhood, and the fear of her being in danger was looming over the whole group. Not to mention that she was also growing concerned for her uncle; with secrets and half truths were growing in nature. If Avon was being honest, however, she couldn't say that she could be sure they'll ever end.

Shooting a glance at Fallon and John next to her, she could tell that they were just as unnerved as her. The mood of the night had taken a negative tone, and was not going to be easily changed. Nate had tried to lighten the mood, but gave up after finally realizing how personal and worrying this particular situation was.

It was only an hour until go time, and heartbeats were rising. There was a taste of excitement in the air as well, despite the worry. They were on a legitimate mission, for a clear purpose, which added new meaning to the nights activities. They were no longer waiting for activity to come to them, they were actively seeking it, and that changed things.

The sound of tires against gravel, pulling into the alleyway, pulled the group's attention downwards. Multiple vans and cars had arrived, all sporting dark colors and shaded windows. Vehicles which only surfed the city streets at night, prowling and preying in alleyways on the weak and disadvantaged. Tonight they would not be predator but prey, and Avon was ready to strike. First, though, they needed to gain some legitimate information to get anywhere, which takes time and patience.

Peering over the ledge, Avon tried to get a better view of what exactly was hidden inside the building next door, which seemed to be the location of whatever the targets had planned.

"Anyone wanna go sneak around to get a better view, we might get more information that way," Nate asked, raising his eyebrow at the group.

"Alright," John whispered, a serious look painting his face. "But NO engaging unless necessary, agreed?"

Everyone nodded their consent before Avon volunteered to take a closer look. John offered a slight nod at her before Avon took off, silently gliding off the building with Nate tailing behind her.

Avon and Nate began their decent across the street, silently crouching down behind a dumpster before daring to peer around the corner.

There were about 20 figures total, all armed, standing around in a sort of circle, murmuring. Avon and Nate couldn't make out much of what they were talking about, but assumed that it couldn't be about anything good.

The circle was broken upon the arrival of a man, who Avon assumed was the leader, but they could only make out the males tall silhouette and nothing more. Turning their heads and trying to hear some of what the villains were discussing, the two managed to catch bits and pieces of information. Unfortunately, almost none of it proved to be useful, though there was one bit that did pose valuable.

One of the men had mentioned something about meeting up at a safer location to discuss more about the "products" being dealt with. The large silhouette had nodded his head in agreement and with that they began heading off, carrying several cases. As the men shuffled

back into their parked vans, the silhouette entered into one they hadn't noticed parked in the shadows before.

Instinctively and without much thought, Avon suddenly dashed towards the van and rolled under one before it could start off, holding on tight to the bottom; hoping to be taken to wherever they were heading next.

"What is she doing!" Nate whispered harshly, eyes wide. Speeding back to the group Nate found all had mouths wide open, shocked to say the least.

"What are we gonna do?!" Nate gasped, beginning to hyperventilate.

"Well, we follow them, and fast. We don't want to lose them." River said simply, having been silent up to this point.

They all nodded and, after pausing one moment to regain themselves, took off into the sky, minds set on following the vans and Avon.

Gliding from rooftop to rooftop, the group followed until about half a hour when the vans finally stopped, arriving at their destination.

Meanwhile, still under one of the vans, Avon held on tightly, praying her rash decision wouldn't turn out to be a deadly mistake. When the van finally stopped, splashing dirt up onto her face, she quickly detached from the van before any members could exit out.

From what she could tell, they had arrived at some cold, rugged, abandoned factory. One of the many that in recent years had closed down in Gotham, due to various safety issues and inspections.

Avon crouched, cloaked under the covers of shadows, placing herself behind a pile of empty crates. Bending down, she peered through a hole and focused in on what the men were discussing.

"The packages are scheduled to be delivered here by tomorrow morning, no later than 6am. Correct?" The leader of the group questioned, obviously expecting no other answer than yes.

"It's all set up boss. They'll be dropped off at 4am, picked up at 5am, and are scheduled to be delivered directly to you by 6am." One of the large silhouettes answered with an air of confidence and proud assurance.

"Good, make sure it does," was all the boss offered in response, seemingly unimpressed with his employee doing what was already expected.

Avon's heart pounded in her chest as one of the men stepped right in front of the tower of crates. As the man continued on, a silent breath of relief flooded out; ecstatic her uncalculated risk hadn't fallen short.

As the men began leaving, Avon's mind reeled over all the information overheard so far. There was a several hour time window between the drop off and pickup for whatever the men were dealing. The team should be able to check out what exactly this "package" was before it was delivered if they could catch it in route, maybe even stopping the shipment.

Avon thought this all over as she signaled the team, not at all surprised to find that they were not far away.

Regrouping with them after 20 minutes or so ontop another building, Avon was greeted with stern glares and worried looks from each face; not that she was really expecting any different, for what she had done was reckless.

Taking a breath before addressing her family, the glares increased, "look, I know what I did was stupid and reckless, and you guys have every right to be mad, but it's going to wait till later. I overheard some important information, and we need to make a plan; quickly."

While the glares did not fade, everyone nodded before Avon recounted what was overheard, explaining that it was wise to take the opportunity to shut down whatever deal was going down before it happened.

This idea, however, was met with a degree of uncertainty and opposition.

"What about our parents, especially our dad," Fallon asked, a look of concern clear on her dimly lite face. "If we're out all night, they could easily find out what's been going on."

Avon pondered how to respond. She wasn't too sure of her plan yet, so it was proving difficult to sell it to the others.

It was John who broke the tensed silence after a minute.

"We have to go tonight. This is the opportunity we've been waiting for" Avon felt his gaze fall on each team member before John continued ", We just have to be extra careful and discrete tonight, and things should work out. If we work together we can do it; I know it. Dad is on the case already though, too, so we need to be extremely careful not to leave any incriminating evidence and to bypass his gaze. I'll hack into his video in the morning to make sure we're not caught on camera."

So it was decided. They would take advantage of this opportunity, hopefully gaining some answers through it, despite the large risk in doing so.


	8. Action- River Todd

One singular, consecutive thought was consistently rolling in River's head as he and his extended family began tracking and making rushed plans for the drug bust.

They were absolute idiots.

It wasn't that River didn't want the opportunity like the others to prove himself and to help, it was what they formed for after all. His problem was that rushing forward into something that could easily get them hurt or worse, caught, wasn't his idea of a smart plan. He certainly wasn't going to leave the group he cared about, however, so he settled for staring out into the dark, cool night, brooding alone in his thoughts.

After a while, a van speeding through the streets drew each of the members out of their thoughts; ready for action, finally.

It would be his job to tail the van from the ground, riding his motorcycle that Avon recently engineered with high tech gear; new changes included, such as now making his motor now silent and undetectable. The others would tail from the buildings, with John already stationed at the warehouse, waiting for their arrival.

River revved up his now silent engine, and began his prowl.

"This isn't too bad." He thought to himself. In fact it seemed that so far this would be the only van arriving at the destination and it would most likely just be in and out.

This was River's favorite part about patrolling, flying through the streets on his bike. The freedom felt when riding translated well into his energy.

River's mind began drifting and he became hyper aware of his surroundings. The feel of the crisp wind on his neck and the sharp chill of night becoming his main focus. This must be why his father favored patrol, especially on a bike. It was a nice taste of serenity before the possibility of battle.

With that thought, River snapped his mind back into place. Tonight the stakes were high and he could not allow himself to mess anything up. This was important to Fallon and Avon, so River did not want to be the one to ruin it.

Finally the van pulled into the all too familiar abandoned warehouse, and River secretly did so as well, tailing right behind them but in spot he wouldn't be easily spotted. There was nothing different about the warehouse from when they last saw it, and John confirmed that it was in fact empty.

The men inside of the van hopped out, unaware of anyone tailing them, and began unloading the contents within the van in boxes. River didn't know what to expect to see them take out of the van, but to say he was expecting what they began taking out would be an understatement.

They were pulling what seemed to be a variety of stuffed animals out of the van. Though River was surprised, he wasn't naive enough to believe that there was anything innocent about this fluffy situation.

"River," John whispered into their coms to get his attention, "I'm pretty certain there's something inside of the stuffed animals. Let us know once the coast is clear so that we can all come in and get a better look."

"I'll notify you guys soon." River softly replied back.

It took another twenty minutes or so, but soon enough the entire vans contents had been emptied out and the men began moving inside.

"Lucky," was the one word River was thinking. They were so very lucky that their plan was actually playing out smoothly; so far at least, though, as there was still time for mishap.

"Guys, the coast is clear." River stated into the comms unit once ten minutes had passed and the men had not yet returned from inside.

"Copy that." John answered back, and then proceeded to let the rest of the team know.

Five minutes later and they were all gathered together in the now fully abandoned warehouse, with all the men gathered in the back to wait for the deal. The place itself held an eerie silence; an off feel inside one simply couldn't explain. That feeling almost made them want to turn back, almost. River was, however, having to remind himself that as long as they proceeded with caution, all would surely go well; that worrying himself wouldn't the cause or the group.

As well, making sure the team was careful too, as the men, or worse, Nightwing, could interfere at any moment. One simple mistake was all it would take to set them back drastically.

Stalking in the dark, River's footsteps barely left a sound. Finally he came close enough to the van to get a true, somewhat accurate look. Peaking into a crate, there were various stuffed animals of different sizes and forms, each having a number pasted onto their ear or back. Some of the numbers were repeating, and others were unique combinations. This, River thought, was certainly not what he had expected would be in such burly possession.

"These numbers must stand for something." River guessed, scratching at the back of his neck in thought. Grabbing a bear to keep for further inspection, he decided it best to radio the others and relay the situation.

"Well I guess there's only one way to find out." John stated, creeping up next to River, proceeding then to flip open his pocket knife, grab one of the animals, and was seemed ready to cut one open when River suddenly spouted out.

"WAIT! Don't do that! Idot. What if they're bombs or something else that could be potentially harmful, or worse, deadly?" River's eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets; his nerves and anxiety beginning to get the better of him.

"Okay then what do you suggest we do?" John asked, genuinely hoping for better options.

"Easy," River answered. "We take one back for further analysis before simply ripping it open before knowing what could be inside. This would give us a safe way to see what we're dealing with."

"Riv that's a great idea!" John complimented, ecstatic over this new plan, though slightly embarrassed he hadn't also thought of something so basic.

Avon decided to comment after joining through an open window, "We should bring multiple samples of the various number combinations. Just incase each stands for something different."

"Agreed, but we need to hurry and take some now before the muscle decides to come back," River said, grabbing three other animals with different codes on them.

Latching onto various stuffed animals as quickly as possible, the trio slipped back outside through a crawl space, out towards the wide open.

Running into the nearby woods, the three hopped on the two bikes parked off, hidden deep in the unknown wilderness. Then they returned back to meet Fallon and Nate at Stephanie's, ready to give an exact overview on the night's events.


	9. Up Next John’s Plan

Standing in front of everyone, John was able to feel his hands start to shake and sweat accumulate on his forehead. He wasn't one to excessively worry, but looking up at all the staring faces around him made certain anxieties bubble to the surface. Things had gone surprising smooth during patrol, yes, but despite this, John still felt that somehow it could have gone better. Sparing a glance at the time, he knew his father would be home very soon, if not already, as he had work the next day; meaning that he and Fallon needed to book it home before their absence was noticed. After giving a quick report and debrief, everyone said their goodbyes before parting ways, planning to patrol again the day after.

Speeding home on his motorcycle, the wind in his face rejuvenated John, and by 4:30am they were back in front of their townhouse. Silently climbing the side of the building to their rooms, praying not to be caught, but ever the ones for planning, their minds began planning a smooth lie if the need were to arise. Climbing into the bedroom, silence was kept, and the two quickly changed before falling into bed, dead tired from the hectic night.

Even though John was physically drained from patrol, he couldn't help the adrenalin still flowing in his veins. He tossed and turned on his bed pondering what could possibly have been inside of the stuffed animals they had acquired, and anxious for the lab results to return.

The whole situation was strange and unusual, and John couldn't help but feel that tonight they had only brushed the surface of the real threat at hand.

Eventually there was no more denying the sleep his body needed, and John fell into sleep plagued with doubts and stress.

John was yanked from his poor excuse of a good night's rest when a sudden knock banged through the bedroom door and woke him up with a start.

Still barely awake, John was only able to mumble out an incoherent response to whoever the perpetrator at his door was.

"John! Fallon! Get up! I have to go to work, but I must have mixed up our laundry bins so I need to get in your room!" His father grunted out, seemingly tired himself.

John figured than that his father must have been out last night then as well. Worry immediately flooded through; What if they hadn't been careful enough and his father somehow knew? The thought was eased slightly by John's common sense. If his father had known about last night's events then surely he would already have been grilling the two with questions?

Groaning slightly as he forced himself up and opened the door, he was met with a hug and his fathers bright yet forlorn face. Passing past him, Dick grabbed the basket and smiled one more time at John and the sleeping Fallon before heading off; promising, however, to be back home by dinner.

Falling back in bed, John laid staring at the ceiling. Mind reeling, after about a half hour he gave up the sweet prospect of more sleep and trudged downstairs to make a huge bowl of cereal.

While John was pouring the milk into his delectable bowl of marshmallow cereal puffs his phone began to vibrate on the counter. Flipping the phone over, John groggily checked who it was that was calling.

John's lingering haze of sleep fled immediately when he saw Stephanie's number pop up on the Caller ID, and rapidly picked up the call.

"Hey Steph! What's up!" he practically shouted into the phone.

"Well, someone is certainly a morning person." Stephanie sleepily replied, following up with a loud yawn.

John chuckled before remarking, "I'm actually not one for any mornings, but I have been anxious about last nights results. So, did you find anything with the samples?"

"Yes, but the traces found within the samples are probably not what you're expecting."

"At least it's something, I'll get the team together to meet up tomorrow and figure out where to go from here."

"Sounds good. Talk to you later," was Stephanie's quiet response before a familiar beep was heard, letting John know Stephanie had ended the call; probably to go back to bed.

Digging into his cereal, he ran through all the possible drugs and or chemicals that the samples could have found; though he wouldn't know for sure till the next day. Working on composing a list, he began to nod off again, and before he knew it, John was asleep, face half in his bowl of cereal.

Fallon woke him up an hour later, looking no more well rested than he did; despite the fact she managed several more hours of sleep than himself.

"You fell asleep in your food," Fallon giggled out, the haze of sleep lingering in her eyes.

"What else is new," John shrugged before relaying the information Stephanie had informed him of.

Fallon grew serious at the change of conversation, pausing a moment before replying, "Hopefully the samples will be helpful. I would hate to have done all of this to just to be back where we started. Clueless." Fallon sighed, venting her worries off to John.

John hated seeing this part of Fallon; down and pessimistic, it just wasn't the real her he knows.

"Don't think of it that way Fallon. Even if the samples prove to be useless, we still know more than we did before. It may be little progress, but it's better than no progress." John stated, trying to reassure Fallon, and bring both their hopes up.

"I guess you're right." Fallon shrugged, but she noticeably untensed; John was willing to take what he could get.

After John made sure to clean his mess of face planted cereal, he decided to head on out for a bit. He needed some time to clear his head before meeting with Steph. Though he may not be admitting it to Fallon, he was worried too. The lack of information didn't bother John, but putting the team at risk for no reason, that did. John was going to get some answers on his own by spending the day at his father's work place, and tracking his every move. All problems seemed to be leading back to his father, and that was something worth investigating.

The hardest part would be not being seen. The office space would be too small to sneak through, so that wasn't an option, which is why John decided to not sneak around at all. His alibi would be that he was here to see his father, yes that would make it difficult to avoid him, as most of the other workers would know of his presence, but it was a risk he felt needed to be taken. The worst that could happen, that he had calculated, would be his father questioning him. But if anything, that would offer John an opportunity to question his father right back. It was a plan with no bad endings, and John was ready.

Strolling into the station, he plastered a smile on his face as he calmly asked to see his father. The security man waved him on, and John knew this was where the trouble would begin to occur in his plan.


	10. Sideways

Maneuvering his way around the station, John made sure to take routes with less officer presence. Crossing paths with several officers was unavoidable, but most just walked right passed him; only two waving and saying a quick hello before continuing on. Stalking around was the temporary plan until John could know his father was out of his office. Perched on top of a landing, John stayed hidden in the spot for around an hour, switching off between monitoring and playing games on his cell phone. Seeing his father finally leave his office, he slipped inside during the absence, silently placing a hidden video and audio recorder in a plant found in the corner of the room. Afterwards, John felt it necessary to search Dick's work computer, and downloaded multiple files onto his small flash drive before continuing to look on the laptop in attempt to scan out anything of value. Finding nothing immediately sticking out, John silently dashed out of the office; it would be disappointing to get caught now that he was so far in.

After walking around a few more minutes to see if he heard anything informative from the police officers passing by, John slipped out of the building through a large window. Texting Fallon to let her know the plan was proceeding smoothly, John double checked to make sure the audio and video recorder worked. Seeing no issue, he breathed a sigh of relief before hopping on his motorcycle, planning on meeting a friend from school at the gym he frequented.

Getting home in the early afternoon, John plugged in the flashdrive to his computer and, with Fallon, went through it to see what they could scour. After a few minutes, they opened a file that peeked John's interest. Opening it, the two scanned over data and research until they found useful information; routes and valuable knowledge on their target. Though nameless, at least according to their fathers current knowledge, information on their supply, a new form of an addictive heroin mix still continuing to be tested, seemed to make all of John's risk worth it.

Pressing on into the available data, John's eyes were filled with all the present data, and he began attempting to find a pattern to determine where the team would most likely find the unnamed gang. After ten minutes, the location of their last two known shipping place, as well as two potential routes, popped up on the screen. Grinning, John copied down the information before sending it to Stephanie. She would no doubt look it over before sharing with the rest of the group. Next, John sent a text out that they should rondevu the following night to patrol and look into the gang with the new direction they found themselves going in.

"No problem Johnny," Nate fired back, before also adding. "But how did you find all this out?"

"Not important, what's vital is that we have new information and that we follow up on it before the case grows cold," John texted, rolling his eyes before turning back to his computer.

After a moment he felt a punch in his gut. John turned his head to see his attacker as his sister, a heated look on her face. This fighting, however, ceased almost immediately when the two heard the doorknob turn and Dick enter.

Playing it cool, John felt Fallon push the computer screen down before standing up to give their father a hug and persuading him to help her start dinner. Walking off into the kitchen, John was left alone in the living room, only the faint noise from his family in the background heard. Sighing, he gathered his laptop and trudged up the stairs to his room.

The rest of the evening went without much more excitement, and the following day soon crept on. John spent much of his morning sleeping, and immediately went to planning patrol and routes for the night when he finally woke up around 11am. Cross examining the files from Dick's office while doing so to tweek patrol plans and make sure no important information was missed the previous day; disregarding the glares he was receiving from Fallon. She wouldn't understand, John figured. This was his first real mission as a leader and hero; he needed it to go perfectly. The pressure he felt was only growing, and a need to make his father and team proud was all John could think about.

As the night drew near, John started gathering his final plans right as his father was due home from his shift. Strolling into the kitchen, John helped Fallon with cleaning and setting out their dinner. To be fair, John thought, he and his father would most likely forget to eat at all if it wasn't for Fallon. Over the past few years, she had really taken charge of the chores he and his father tended to slack on; he wouldn't say it, but it made him proud, yet hurt, to see his baby sister growing up on him. The two finished just as their father strolled in, John still given the cold shoulder by his sister.

Giving one of his usual bright smiles, he pulled them into a big hug before running off to grab a plate. Making the usual small talk while they ate, John kept re-running plans in his head; only commenting on and off. Cleaning the dishes when they finished eating with his dad, Dick finally decided to comment on this troublesome attitude John found himself in, "something wrong, you seem bothered today," he asked gently.

John laughed it off and shook his head, hoping to throw off any suspicion. In the back of his head though, he knew he needed to real himself in; less he give the whole plan away. Fleeing to his room after, he found Fallon sitting on her bed, seeming to have been waiting for him.

"Whats wrong," she asked, glaring at him."You're acting off and it's annoying to deal with. Did you find something?"

He shook his head no before diverting the conversation by showing her some of the ideas he had for the nights patrol. His hope holding that the task of planning and the excitement from patrol would keep Fallon occupied, atleast for the time being. John needed to keep her focused on the task at hand and illusive to his personal fears. However, being no stranger to his own demons, John knew exactly what he had to do to shake them off.

"Hey Fallon I'm going to try and catch some shut eye before patrol tonight. Don't wait up for me, I'll be sure to meet you there, and I don't want dad to be suspicious of you waking me up." John said, mentally crossing his fingers that she would leave the subject alone for now.

"Yup, no problem, but don't forget to wake up on time!" Fallon replied politely, some cheeky flare evident in her voice.

"You got it!" John quickly replied before bounding down the stairs, least he miss his opportunity.

Obviously John did not plan to head to bed as he had claimed, and instead snuck right out of the door. He needed to shake these nerves, and the only way to do so would be to make 100 percent sure things would go smoothly that night.

It felt necessary to investigate the site before the others. John needed to make sure that his family were not walking straight into gunfire; determined to make sure that his first mission wouldn't be one that was remembered for it's tragedy.

He needed to do this.

The wind whipped at his face as he ran from building to building, seeking out his prey.

John felt as fearless as a lion leading his pride; but he knew that a leader must be a master of many traits; and tonight he would be cool, calm, and collected as a lonesome panther slipping through the folds of the jungle trees, off into the cool night.


End file.
